OldTools Archive

Recent Bios FAQ

275120 John M. Johnston <jmjhnstn@m...> 2022‑01‑20 Wainscot
What kind of wood was "wainscot?”  See the reference below:

Summary Description of Wooden Canteens made by John Trotter, London Aug. 23,
1780

"Frith St., Soho, August 23, 1780
…  Having made canteens of several kinds of wood it is found when they are
filled with water it penetrates through the heads of those made of beech, and it
is also liable to warp.  Foreign oak or wainscot will answer the purpose much
better, and is made use of here for small vessels.  Submitted to Lord Amherst’s
opinion."

 Source: Letter from John Trotter to Maj. Gen. Morrison, dated Aug. 23, 1780 in
Report on American Manuscripts in the Royal Institution of Great Britain, Vol.
II, His Majesty’s Stationery Office, London, 1906, Google Books, p. 173.


John M. Johnston

“P.S. If you do not receive this, of course it must have been miscarried;
therefore I beg you to write and let me know.” - Sir Boyle Roche, M.P.
275124 michael petre <petre.mic@g...> 2022‑01‑20 Re: Wainscot
Hi John,

Historically it was imported oak of fine quality... knot free, low tanin.
Originally it referred to riven boards from old growth trees, then to quarter
sawn boards.

Michael
275121 Bill Ghio 2022‑01‑20 Re: Wainscot
> On Jan 20, 2022, at 8:29 AM, John M. Johnston  wrote:
> 
> What kind of wood was "wainscot?”  See the reference below:
> 
> Summary Description of Wooden Canteens made by John Trotter, London Aug. 23,
1780
> 
> "Frith St., Soho, August 23, 1780
> …  Having made canteens of several kinds of wood it is found when they are
filled with water it penetrates through the heads of those made of beech, and it
is also liable to warp.  Foreign oak or wainscot will answer the purpose much
better, and is made use of here for small vessels.  Submitted to Lord Amherst’s
opinion."
> 
> Source: Letter from John Trotter to Maj. Gen. Morrison, dated Aug. 23, 1780 in
Report on American Manuscripts in the Royal Institution of Great Britain, Vol.
II, His Majesty’s Stationery Office, London, 1906, Google Books, p. 173.
> 


I’ll take a shot at an answer. Waiscot being wooden paneling and much of England
being paneled in Oak, I would guess he is referring to a White Oak. By 1780
native English Oak was well consumed for building, esp. ship building, so much
European Oak was being imported along with “deal” from Scandinavia.  Also, of
course, the pores in White Oak are plugged so will not allow "water to penetrate
through the heads” as did the beech.

Bill
275122 Dennis Heyza <michigaloot@c...> 2022‑01‑20 Re: Wainscot
John,

I would agree that oak was (mostly?) used in England, but believe a wider
variety of woods were used here in "the colonies". I think pine, poplar, and
walnut would be period appropriate (the first two particularly for painted
wainscot). Might be something worth asking Chris Swan, conservator at
Colonial Williamsburg during the Working Wood symposium running the next few
days. Let me check.

Dennis Heyza
New Baltimore, Michigan

-----Original Message-----
From: oldtools@g...  On Behalf Of John M. Johnston
Sent: Thursday, January 20, 2022 8:30 AM
To: Old Tools 
Subject: [oldtools] Wainscot

What kind of wood was "wainscot?"  See the reference below:

Summary Description of Wooden Canteens made by John Trotter, London Aug. 23,
1780

"Frith St., Soho, August 23, 1780
.  Having made canteens of several kinds of wood it is found when they are
filled with water it penetrates through the heads of those made of beech,
and it is also liable to warp.  Foreign oak or wainscot will answer the
purpose much better, and is made use of here for small vessels.  Submitted
to Lord Amherst's opinion."

 Source: Letter from John Trotter to Maj. Gen. Morrison, dated Aug. 23, 1780
in Report on American Manuscripts in the Royal Institution of Great Britain,
Vol. II, His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1906, Google Books, p.
173.


John M. Johnston

"P.S. If you do not receive this, of course it must have been miscarried;
therefore I beg you to write and let me know." - Sir Boyle Roche, M.P.
275123 Nichael Cramer <nichael@s...> 2022‑01‑20 Re: Wainscot
Quoting from The Britannica:

 > Traditionally, British wainscot was made of oak-imported from Russia,
 > Germany, or Holland-and wainscot oak remains a term for select,
 > quartersawn oak for paneling.

 https://www.britannica.com/art/wainscot

N



----------------------------------------
 From: "John M. Johnston" 
Sent: Thursday, January 20, 2022 8:31 AM
To: "Old Tools" 
Subject: [oldtools] Wainscot
What kind of wood was "wainscot?" See the reference below:

Summary Description of Wooden Canteens made by John Trotter, London Aug. 23,
1780

"Frith St., Soho, August 23, 1780
. Having made canteens of several kinds of wood it is found when they are filled
with water it penetrates through the heads of those made of beech, and it is
also liable to warp. Foreign oak or wainscot will answer the purpose much
better, and is made use of here for small vessels. Submitted to Lord Amherst's
opinion."

Source: Letter from John Trotter to Maj. Gen. Morrison, dated Aug. 23, 1780 in
Report on American Manuscripts in the Royal Institution of Great Britain, Vol.
II, His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1906, Google Books, p. 173.

John M. Johnston

"P.S. If you do not receive this, of course it must have been miscarried;
therefore I beg you to write and let me know." - Sir Boyle Roche, M.P.
275131 Dave Tardiff <dwtardiff13@g...> 2022‑01‑21 Re: Wainscot
The parlor in my 1806 house in Vermont is all wide pine, usually single
boards for each raised panel.
Based on photos, was probably painted originally, is now mostly unfinished
due to an earlier-than-I owner probably
stripping the paint off, at least in that room.  Most of the other
fireplaces (eight in all) have a painted raised panel wall
on the fireplace side, and chair-rail height wainscotting around the rest
of the room, with plaster above, usually wallpapered.
There are a few houses in the area that still have stenciled or
hand-painted walls, like those of Rufus Porter, and usually above
painted wainscotting.  See https://www.pwpcenter.org/ for more information
if you're interested.

On Thu, Jan 20, 2022 at 9:01 AM Dennis Heyza 
wrote:
275138 scottg <scottg@s...> 2022‑01‑22 Re: Wainscot
In the use-what-you-got vein...........
50 years ago I once covered the lower part of my living / dining room in 
"mill ends" from the local sawmill boneyard.

  In those days they would cut everything longer than needed, and then 
trim off the ends.
Many times it would be ideal kiln dried 2' long planks of every size.
I would pitch mill ends into my truck for firewood all day long!
1/2 the town did as well.

    So, 2' .........1X12 pine, vertical first row and then horizontal on 
top, spanning the joints.
  Lumber unit stickers (spacer strips to hold lumber apart for drying) 
used as battens,
then a 1x4 on top for the rail?

   Thats what I called wainscot

My friends and neighbors thought it was nice. :)
yours scott

-- 
*******************************
    Scott Grandstaff
    Box 409 Happy Camp, Ca  96039
    scottg@s...
    http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/
    http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/hpages/index.html
275139 Kirk Eppler 2022‑01‑23 Re: Wainscot
This link may help.  Scroll up a bit from the 1st usage of wainscot for the
whole deal, but a species of Oak.   Book is from 1786, so almost a
contemporary, big picture view.

Silva Or a Discourse of Forest-Trees, and the Propagation of Timber in His
Majesty's Dominions ... Together with an Historical Account of the
Sacredness and Use of Standing Groves
Volume 1
By John Evelyn
<https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=inauthor:%22John+Evelyn%22&tbm=bks> ·
1786


https://books.google.com/books?id=ZkJTAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA73&dq=tree+species+wainscot&
hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiWr7zPg8f1
AhUcJ0QIHW5xCg0Q6AF6BAgHEAM


Kirk in Half moon bay, ca, got a few minutes of garage cleanup in tonight.


On Thu, Jan 20, 2022 at 5:30 AM John M. Johnston 
wrote:

> What kind of wood was "wainscot?”  See the reference below:
>
> Summary Description of Wooden Canteens made by John Trotter, London Aug.
> 23, 1780
>
> "Frith St., Soho, August 23, 1780
> …  Having made canteens of several kinds of wood it is found when they are
> filled with water it penetrates through the heads of those made of beech,
> and it is also liable to warp.  Foreign oak or wainscot will answer the
> purpose much better, and is made use of here for small vessels.  Submitted
> to Lord Amherst’s opinion."
>
>  Source: Letter from John Trotter to Maj. Gen. Morrison, dated Aug. 23,
> 1780 in Report on American Manuscripts in the Royal Institution of Great
> Britain, Vol. II, His Majesty’s Stationery Office, London, 1906, Google
> Books, p. 173.
>
> --
Sent from my iPad, apologies for the Auto Correct errors. Kirk
275140 Kirk Eppler 2022‑01‑23 Re: Wainscot
Bad form, own post, etc etc, but originally I thought this was the same
book, but they are both referencing the same Mr Lucombe, for whom the oak
is named.  This is a bit easier to read without them funny S shaped like an
f.

https://books.google.com/books?id=6IpYAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA1259&dq=tree+species+wainsco
t&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiWr7zPg8
f1AhUcJ0QIHW5xCg0Q6AF6BAgDEAM


KE, eating some fine Parker honey with my oat bread and soup.

On Sat, Jan 22, 2022 at 8:32 PM Kirk Eppler via groups.io  wrote:

> This link may help.  Scroll up a bit from the 1st usage of wainscot for the
> whole deal, but a species of Oak.   Book is from 1786, so almost a
> contemporary, big picture view.
>
> Silva Or a Discourse of Forest-Trees, and the Propagation of Timber in His
> Majesty's Dominions ... Together with an Historical Account of the
> Sacredness and Use of Standing Groves
> Volume 1
> By John Evelyn
> <https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=inauthor:%22John+Evelyn%22&tbm=bks>
> ·
> 1786
>
>
>
> https://books.google.com/books?id=ZkJTAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA73&dq=tree+species+wainsco
t&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiWr7zPg8
f1AhUcJ0QIHW5xCg0Q6AF6BAgHEAM
>
>
> Kirk in Half moon bay, ca, got a few minutes of garage cleanup in tonight.
>
>
> On Thu, Jan 20, 2022 at 5:30 AM John M. Johnston 
> wrote:
>
> > What kind of wood was "wainscot?”  See the reference below:
> >
> > Summary Description of Wooden Canteens made by John Trotter, London Aug.
> > 23, 1780
> >
> > "Frith St., Soho, August 23, 1780
> > …  Having made canteens of several kinds of wood it is found when they
> are
> > filled with water it penetrates through the heads of those made of beech,
> > and it is also liable to warp.  Foreign oak or wainscot will answer the
> > purpose much better, and is made use of here for small vessels.
> Submitted
> > to Lord Amherst’s opinion."
> >
> >  Source: Letter from John Trotter to Maj. Gen. Morrison, dated Aug. 23,
> > 1780 in Report on American Manuscripts in the Royal Institution of Great
> > Britain, Vol. II, His Majesty’s Stationery Office, London, 1906, Google
> > Books, p. 173.
> >
> > --
> Sent from my iPad, apologies for the Auto Correct errors. Kirk
>
>
> 
>
>
> --
Sent from my iPad, apologies for the Auto Correct errors. Kirk

Recent Bios FAQ